Kalmiopsis Wilderness Watershed Analysis Revis-Ion-I
DOCUMENI A 13.2: K 34x Kalmiopsis Wilderness Watershed Analysis Revis-ion-I- 4;/4A Approved orest Supervisor Dafe Siskiyou National Forest SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY UBW'Y ASUNLAND, OREGON 97520 SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSIT LIBRARY INTRODUCTION The Kalmiopsis Wilderness, located in Southwestern Oregon, encompasses 179,850 acres and is entirely in the Siskiyou National Forest. The major part of the Wilderness is in five watersheds, Upper Chetco River, Lower Chetco River, West Fork of the Illinois River, Illinois River below Briggs Creek and a Key Watershed, the Upper North Fork of the Smith River. The Wilderness Act stipulates that wilderness is "Federal Land.. .which is.. .managed so as to preserve its natural condition and which generally 3ppears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature...." The Kalmiopsis Wilderness was first designated as a Wild Area under the Secretary of Agriculture Regulation U-2 in 1946. The Wilderness Act of 1964 converted the Wild Area to Wilderness. The Endangered American Wilderness Act of 1978 added 102,950 acres, making its present size of 179,850 acres. In addition to trails, access in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness is via existing primitive mining roads that were constructed in the 1930's well before the designation of the Wilderness by Congress. The Wilderness Acts noted above, specifically permitted the continued existence, perpetuation, and use of these roads. Though the roads are narrow, steep, and primitive in character, they are passable by 4-wheel drive vehicles, ATVs, and motorcycles. The roads are blocked by gates and closed to motorized public travel. However, they are available for motorized access through a Special Use Permit process.
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